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In Japan, summer is not only a time of scorching heat but also a season associated with the "ghost" culture of many regions. Many people seek out haunted houses to cool off and relax. In Tokyo, haunted houses open early, attracting large crowds of visitors. Ghosts in kimonos with bloodshot eyes, moaning and staggering like zombies, send shivers down the visitors' spines.
Japanese people have a peculiar tradition of "escaping the heat" in haunted houses.
I was so scared I broke out in a cold sweat.
"Shadows in kimonos walk along the dark paths. They take slow steps while constantly moaning. Behind them are eerie red hues." This is what makes Japanese haunted houses so attractive during the summer. In Japanese culture, summer is often associated with death because it is believed that the spirits of ancestors return to visit their families during Obon in mid-August – a festival observed by the Japanese to commemorate their ancestors.
In Japanese culture, summer is considered the time when spirits return to visit their ancestral homes.
Climate change is making Japanese summers increasingly unbearable. This July saw the highest temperatures in 126 years. In Tokyo alone, 123 people died from heatstroke last month. Many haunted houses in Japan advertise with the slogan "A chill to chase away the summer heat." According to Hirofumi Gomi, a producer of haunted house experiences, this idea may have originated from traditional kabuki theater.
At the Namjatown haunted house, which recreates a ghostly abandoned town, the operating company stated: "In Japanese, we say 'kimo ga hieru,' which literally means 'chilled liver' – a way of describing the feeling of getting goosebumps. We believe that visitors will experience feelings of fear, surprise, or 'chills down their spine,' thus enjoying a refreshing feeling in the middle of summer."
Visitors will experience a chilling, spine-tingling feeling when visiting these haunted houses.
Visiting haunted houses is also considered a way to cool off in the summer. Japanese haunted houses are usually equipped with air conditioning to ensure visitors always feel a chill. At Namjatown haunted house, the interior elements are designed around the theme of a Japanese abandoned town. It's full of ghosts and many traps prepared by the organizers to scare visitors.
Namjatown Haunted House is famous for its terrifying scares.
The tradition of listening to ghost stories in the summer.
Many haunted houses in Japan even display signs that read, "Here we offer a spine-chilling experience to help you beat the summer heat," to attract visitors. According to Hirofumi Gomi, who has 30 years of experience designing haunted houses, the idea of going to a haunted house to escape the heat originates from a traditional Japanese art form. "Old-fashioned kabuki theaters used to have very few customers in the summer because audiences didn't want to crowd into a stuffy, unair-conditioned theater," he explains.
Mr. Hirofumi Gomi has over 30 years of experience in designing haunted houses.
According to him, to attract audiences, theater owners should shift from sentimental plays to horror plays with more equipment that creates a "spine-chilling" feeling. This would bring back large audiences. "For those feeling uncomfortable due to the heat, terrifying visual effects and captivating ghost stories would be an effective weapon to combat the heat," Gomi shared. This is also why horror trends in Japan have become popular and embraced by the people because of the thrill that these supernatural elements provide.
These haunted houses are also a perfect choice for those who want to escape the sweltering heat and seek a different kind of thrill this Halloween.
